Following an online makeover and seemingly confirming the release date for their new album, the Cure are continuing to have fun teasing everyone with a cryptic, drawn-out rollout process for something that still hasn't been announced "officially." Now, the band have shared a couple of preview clips for a song called "Alone," which one might guess could serve as the lead single for the upcoming Songs of a Lost World LP, their first since 2018's 4:13 Dream.
UPDATE (9/23, 9:10 a.m.): The Cure have now confirmed that "Alone" will officially be released this week after an exclusive first play on Mary Anne Hobbs's BBC Radio 6 Music show on Thursday (September 26).
People who had connected with the Cure through their official WhatsApp were reportedly sent a message today that asked, "want to hear 'alone?'" Those who answered "YES" — or were subscribed to the band's mailing list — were sent the link to a website. Clicking "Discover Now" redirected folks to a Songs of a Lost World website where, upon setting the date to "I XI MMXXIV" (the November 1, 2024 date that adorned postcards sent to fans and a poster on the window of the venue where the Cure played some of their earliest shows), a 15-second clip of the song can be heard.
Robert Smith sings the lyrics, "This is the end of every song we sing," and it sounds promising! Apparently WhatsApp then sends another snippet to your phone of what people think is likely to be the beginning of the song. A Reddit user helpfully put both snippets together in a video, which you can check out below if you'd like to forego jumping through all those hoops.